Visitation of Mary Matha is concluded!!!!!!!

A month long visitation of Mary Matha Province came to an end yesterday. I concluded it with a meeting with Provincial council. I communicated to them the joy and sorrows, strengths and weakness, future dreams and plans of the friars. The month long experience was very good….the friars took good care of me. The visitation program was organised

well by the provincial and his secretary. Andhra-Telangana-Orissa three big states covered up in 6 weeks. There are about 140 friars including students. Travelling from place to place, listening to the friars was a joy and a learning experience. The food and water in different places was also a good experience. In Andhra, normally people eat very spicy food. If you are not used to eating spicy it could some stomach problems. Initially I had some issues but the Curds or buttermilk solved all the problems.

Visitation of a province is something which is so important for our brotherhood and fraternal life to grow. I firmly believe that the friars have a great need to be heard and listened to. They have many issues to share, issues which are fraternal and spiritual. A leader who can listen to them and make the friar feel that there is someone who is interested in him. Today the need is to make known the other that he is not rejected but loved and accepted as he is. Sometimes, we tend to segregate friars who don’t fall in our line of thinking or who are not willing to dance according to our tunes. But forget that each one of us is unique and so different. Each of us have our won individuality as a person. We have to allow a person to express oneself in a manner one feels comfortable with. One cannot be given a permanent tag of being bad or useless. The role and responsibility of a leader is to be with these kind of persons who need a pat on the back every now and then.